Having Hope
by smo12987
Summary: Ash and Tory having been going strong for 1 year, however when a baby enter's the picture, can they keep their enemy's at bay or will their happy family be torn apart?
1. Chapter 1

"Tory?" he whispered as he walked through their bedroom doors quietly. He saw her body outlined under the black silk sheets of their bed. He walked over and slid his long body against the sheets and pulled himself up to her back while sliding his arm around her stomach. "Soteria", he whispered in her ear for her to wake up.

"Hmm?" she said without opening her eyes. And turned to lean over and face him. When she opened her eyes and smiled he rushed in for a kiss.

"Good morning", he said as he pulled away.

"Good…" her face changed, she looked like she was about to puke.

Dear Zeus, it's because she was. He flashed her to the bathroom and watched in horror as he held her hair away from her face while she worshipped the porcelain god. She vomited a few more times and then leaned back against his cool chest while he materialized a cold compress to place against her forehead. "I don't understand, you can't get sick anymore." He said in confusion.

She laughed half heartedly at his comment, "For a god, you're very much a human male."

He kissed her temple, and flashed her back into the bedroom on their bed. He pulled up the sheet and held her body to his; she played with the locket she'd given him at their one year anniversary. Opening and closing it over and over. She knew he hated anything near his neck. But the fact that she's never seen him without this makes her love him all the more. She looked up into his swirling silver eyes and smiled, "I'm not sure, but I have an idea as to why I'm sick."

He looked down at her and smoothed his hand down her hair onto her shoulders and rested it on her hip. "What is it?" he asked.

She laughed softly and rested her hand atop his and slowly dragged it to her stomach and rested it there. Her eyes looked up again at his and she bit her lip, waiting for him to make the connection. First he became still and then a slow smile spread across his charming lips, then shock finally registered on his face. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, finally opening them and leaning forward to kiss her.

"You have made me deliriously happy", he said softly. Leaning up he kissed her nose, eyes, and throat and then finally he returned to her mouth. Their peace was so special at that moment it would take a bulldozer to interrupt them.

Unfortunately they had one in the size of a teenage demon with a taste for sparkalies. "Akri! The Simi wants to-eww!" Simi covered her eyes yet continued to speak her demands, "Akra Tory, can we go shopping now?"

Troy leaned up behind Ash's bare chest and placed her hand on his shoulder so she could see Simi, "umm Simi, I actually don't feel well, and I need to stay in bed."

Simi twirled around and stared at Tory in shock, "what! You're telling the Simi _no_ Akra?"

Tory bit her bottom lip and nodded. Simi looked at Ash, "okay then Akri can take me." She said matter of fact.

Ash shook his head, "how about QVC and my black amex card?" he said instead.

Simi's eyes lit up, and she grabbed the Black card that materialized in front of her. She screeched loudly and then ran out of the bedroom to the television in the throne room. Ash shut the door behind her and then looked at Tory, "now, where were we?"

"I can't believe you gave her another black Amex card."

Ash shrugged as he pulled her close to him, "I like to think of it as helping the economy."

***

Tory was walking down the street of New Orleans with Simi a few feet in front of her. Tory scowled at the ice cream that seemed to keep melting down her hand and arm, if only she had gotten the bowl like her gut told her too, but no, she liked a challenge.

Simi turned to her and smiled, "oohh, Akra Tory can we go see Tabby and her shop now?" she asked as she jumped up and down in excitement.

Tory nodded and threw away the ice cream knowing it was a lost cause. They walked a couple blocks until they reached bourbon street and it's many shops, once they found tabby's they walked in and straight to the back where they saw a small petite girl sitting with a baby rocker next to her.

Tabitha was talking to a customer, "oh, I don't know if I should…?" the customer was saying.

Tabitha grinned when she saw Tory and Simi approaching and held her finger up to let them know to give her a moment.

"Well, all I can say is my hubby and I loved it so much…"she paused as she picked up a small bundle with dark black hair, the color of his father's. It made Tory wonder if she and Ash's child would have blond hair. "…that this sweet baby girl was the result."

The customer stood frozen for a few seconds then slammed her money on the counter, "I'll take it."

Tabitha laughed and then gave the woman her change, called out "enjoy" as she left and then handed the baby over to Simi who stood there oohing and awwing.

"What did you just sell her?" Tory asked with a smirk.

Tabitha flicked her hand at the departing customer then whispered, "How to tickle his pickle…amateurs."

Tory turned beat red and smiled at Tabitha's frankness, "yeah well, you're right; it does result in a baby." She said and waited for Tabitha to catch on. It took a second while she was straitening her counter; she froze then jumped up and around the counter to pounce on Tory in excitement.

"Oh my god! This is so exciting, oh to think, if it wasn't for me and my shop, there would be no little Ash and Tory running around here playing with Adela!" she said and hugged her a second time while laughing.

Tory patted her back and then sat down from the rush of Tabitha in her system, "so tell me, what the joys of being pregnant are?" she asked.

Tabitha was straitening the clothes on the rack that she jumbled in her excitement and laughed at the question, "well, your man will destroy the world for you if you asked, of course in your case, that's possible." Tory blushed. "they get you anything you want no matter when or where, and during that time where your really horny, they seem to think it's all them. It's kind of cute in a macho sort of way."

Tabitha came around and sat down taking Adela from Simi so she could walk around the store and take the things she wants. "How is Ash taking the news?"

Troy shrugged, "on one level, I think he's happy as hell, but on another…I don't know…he seems scared."

Simi came back and dangled her earlier purchase from Harry Winston, making the baby laugh and gurgle, "Tabby, Adela likes the Simi's sparkalies, I think we're going to be great shopping friends!" she said as the baby continued to try and reach the diamond necklace.

Tabitha laughed, "Good thing her daddy is rich."

Everyone laughed and turned when they felt the strong presence enter the building, "hey baby." Tory said as Ash walked in.

He came up and kissed her on the forehead then the lips. "I was worried about you." He said softly near her ear.

"Babe, I said I might go shopping with Simi later on." She said in defense.

He nodded, "okay, I just got worried that's all."

She held his arms around her body and placed her hands above his while they rested on top of her belly. Everyone watched Simi play with the baby, and laughed when Adela made gas and Simi stepped back in fear. Tabitha picked up her daughter and walked towards the back room calling for Simi to follow and see that Adela wasn't evil.

Ash came around and started nibbling on Tory's ear, "have I told you how much I love you today?"

She nodded into his kiss, "did I tell you how overprotective you are?" she asked around his kisses.

"He leaned back and looked sheepish, "do you blame me?" he asked.

She shook her head and rubbed her hands up and down his long arms. She slowly pulled his sunglasses off and smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Everything will be fine, you worry too much."

He pulled her into his arms again and kissed the top of her head, "I can't help it."

She nodded and agreed, she knew he had fears, and so did she. No matter what they weren't going to let anyone hurt their baby. Even if that meant going to war.

***~Wow, my first fanfic fic for Dark-hunters. I've always been a huge fan of Ash's, and decide I wanted to extend his story with Tory. Hope you enjoy and please review!!!~***


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

"Ash?" Tory whispered in the darkness of their bedroom. She heard him grunt, and waited for him to turn over. When he didn't oblige she poked him in the shoulder to get his attention, another grunt and then silence again. She grabbed his arm more forcefully and shook him, a third grunt came at her and again she was left in silence.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." She said in determination and then sat up in bed. She tip toed to the door of their room and began to turn the knob, when all of a sudden she felt a strong presence near her. Turning around quickly she scanned the room for the presence, but nobody was there except Ash who continued to sleep with a soft snore radiating from his location on the bed. Shaking her head at her own nerves, she continued out the door and down the hallway to the kitchen. The marble stone floor was cold against her feet, so she walked as fast as she could.

_If Ash had woken up, he could have done this!_

She reached the kitchen and turned on the light, again a presence assaulted her and yet she found she was still alone. Walking to the fridge, she opened and retrieved milk, club soda and chocolate syrup. Putting it all on the counter and shutting the fridge door with her hip, she started humming as she began stirring in the contents in a large glass. As she was stirring she began to feel an overwhelming pressure in the room, as if there wasn't enough air in the palace.

"Ash!" she wheezed and gripped the counter trying to stand straight and take deep breaths. But the harder she tried to catch her breath, the harder it became to breathe. "Acheron…." She whispered as her body finally collapsed and blackness took over.

***

Acheron moved his hand over to feel Tory's warm body; instead his hand met cold sheets. He lifted his head to look around and noticed she was nowhere in the room. He felt for her presence and found it weak and nearby. Flashing himself to her, he found her body on the kitchen floor, lying there completely still. When he knelt down and touched her hesitantly, she was cold. He looked her body over and began panicking. She was only wearing his Rolling stone's shirt that hung past her knees and nothing else, the slight bump from her belly noticeably stretching the shirt. "Oh god, Soteria!"

He felt for a pulse and let loose a breath in relief, his hand travelled down to her stomach and there he could sense a strong heartbeat as well. "Thank god!" he exclaimed and then pulled her into his arms and stood. He looked at the counter and saw where she was mixing her favorite drink since she became pregnant, an Egg Cream.

She moaned as he lifted her. That was a good sign, it meant she was conscious. "Baby, just hold on." He whispered into her ear as he materialized out of their kitchen and into the room of one of the most powerful people in the universe.

"What the hell happened Grom?" asked Savitar who walked over quickly to where Ash was standing with a still pale Tory. He wore a white cotton pants with a Hawaiian shirt that was unbuttoned down the front. His appearance may not have said it, but Savitar was concerned as brought Ash over to the sofa and laid her upon it. Savitar guided his hand over Tory's body from head to toe and back again, listening to her breathing and the heartbeats of herself and her child.

Looking back up at Ash who had yet to let go of her hand, Savitar demanded, "what the hell Ash?"

Ash looked up at Savitar with anger darkening his face, "there was no presence of anyone or anything in the area, yet look at her," he said and lifted his other hand towards her body, "I panicked, what happened to her?"

Savitar shook his head and looked down at Tory. "It's the baby; the presence of such strong power is hard for Tory, who was once a mortal, to sustain."

"I don't understand, the baby is too strong for her?" Ash asked.

Savitar stood, "I'll be right back."

Before Ash could say anything, Savitar vanished. Ash looked down at Tory and felt his chest hurt, he can't lose her, he thought. Reaching down he lifted her head lightly and sat down to rest her head on his chest. His hands came down to cup her stomach and rubbed gently in a circular motion. Tory moaned and shifted, her eyes blinked open slowly and she smiled up at Ash.

Finally her eyes and mind registered where she was and she sat up slowly, "um, babe? Why are we on Savitar's island?" she asked with her eyebrow raised.

He smoothed the hair back from her face and smiled, "what do remember last?"

She scrunched up her face and looked down at his hands covering her stomach, "umm, I was hungry, so I started making an egg cream…was I attacked?" she asked and looked up at him.

"Was someone in the kitchen with you?"

"No, but I felt someone there, like I was being watched…but it wasn't menacing or anything. More like a just easy and simple presence." She looked up at him and smiled, "does that make sense?"

Ash smiled and pulled her back to him so her head rested over his heart. "Yeah, I think in a way it does."

Savitar returned with Menyara, the Egyptian goddess of justice and truth. She was in her goddess form, showing her to look like a young woman with a tall strong frame and sexy curves. She wore a floor length white cotton halter dress that flowed from behind her and her long black hair wrapped in a braid that fell to her waist. She walked towards Tory and Ash with a frown on her face.

Placing her left hand on Tory's forehead and her right on the side of her stomach, "I don't feel any fluctuations, in fact everything seems normal."

Menyara looked back up at Tory and grinned, "Men are always panicking."

Ash narrowed his eyes, "I wasn't panicking, she was collapsed on the kitchen floor pale and cold…okay I was panicking, but I feel I had every right too."

Tory turned in his arms and looked at him, "babe, you're an all powerful Alantian god and you're freaking out over a fainting spell-"

Gasp! Menyara pulled her hand back away from the stomach quickly as if burning her hand. "Did you guys feel that?"

Savitar came closer, "the power surge? Was it the child?" he asked.

Tory covered her stomach with her hands and swayed, "oh, I feel that presence again…like someone watching me." Then looking at Menyara, "is that what you're talking about?"

"Yes, is that what caused you to pass out earlier?"

Tory nodded, "it just became overwhelming, as if not enough air to breath."

"How does it feel now?" Ash asked with concern etched on his face.

"Okay, but the air feels thick."

Savitar looked at Ash who looked at Menyara and all three frowned. Tory hated it when they did that, it reminded her when she was 12 and the popular girls talked about her behind their hands and giggled. She always wanted to know what they were saying, one: so she could defend herself, and two: so she wouldn't feel so bad.

"Ugh, please tell me what you all are thinking!" she demanded with her hands fisted at her sides.

Ash leaned forward and rubbed her back to comfort her, "We think it's the baby stretching its powers out, but the power is so…powerful, it's hard for you to handle it."

Menyara leaned forward and captured Tory's hands in her own, "when the baby gets larger, he or she will become stronger inside you, which means more power."

Savitar came and sat next to her and placed his arm on the back of the sofa behind her, "more power means more blackouts for you, and could possibly hurt you or worse."

Tory shook her head, "I don't care, I'm not going to give up," turning to Ash with tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I don't want to lose her."

Ash's face became shocked, "you know the baby is a girl?"

Tory shook her head with a tear escaping, "no, yes…I'm not sure."

All eyes turned to stare at the small protruding bump of Tory's stomach. Menyara crossed her arms over her chest, "I wonder...This child is very powerful...she may be the one."

****~Gasp? The one what? Wait and find out! Sorry for the long gap of updates, will update next weekend with chapter 3, promise!!!**


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